Real Weddings: Katie McNamara & Steve McClung

Jun 18, 2014 05:53PM
● Published by Anonymous

Tired and a little cranky I questioned it but went along. He led me to a bench to sit down and went into how, on our first date we ended up sitting on a bench people watching, and how he knew he had met someone very special, and before I knew it he was down on one knee!” The hotel, who’d known about the surprise, upgraded the room and sent champagne, to make the day special. Following the trip, the couple attended a birthday brunch celebration where they surprised everyone with the news. “It was great to be able to celebrate together,” Katie says, “and then surprise everyone when we got home.”

The Ceremony. Katie and Steven opted to host their special day in southern Anne Arundel County at Old South Country Club. “We were looking for a property that had an estate feel…a classic, grand building on simple landscape and this golf course fit the bill,” Katie says. “Pulling up to Old South in the limo it was exactly as I had wanted it.” Katie’s brother officiated the ceremony, and Katie and Steve wrote their own vows. “It meant so much to me to have someone who knows us so well, say such strong words and unite us in marriage. He met with each of us individually and came up with his words from that,” Katie says. “I loved sharing each other’s vows. They were extremely personal and touching. I was told there wasn’t a dry eye in the house! Steve also shed a few tears so I tried to add a little comic relief so he could keep going.”

The Fashion. Katie’s five bridesmaids donned floor-length navy dresses, and Steve’s six groomsmen coordinated with grey suits and navy striped bowties. Steve wore a black tux with a navy bowtie, with tiny white polka dots. Amidst the impeccably coordinated attired, Katie’s Maggie Sottero stunned. Featuring a sweetheart neckline, floral lace detail, and ruching at the waist accented on the side with a beaded motif, the sheath gown was perfectly elegant, with a dramatic slit that offered just enough edge. “It was comfortable and classic,” she says, “but the slit was so unique and the perfect amount of “different.””

The Celebration. For cocktail hour, the 115 guests enjoyed a menu of stuffed mushroom caps, coconut shrimp, spinach dip, and mini crab cakes as a string quartet played in the corner. Katie says listening to the speeches was one of her favorite parts of the day. “They were so touching,” she says, “and from people we love very much.”

The Details. Katie and Steve used a fingerprint heart on their Save the Dates, which they carried over to the wedding programs and menus. For a personal touch, Katie created double-sided frames for cocktail hour that featured “Five Things His Side Should Know about Her,” and “Five Things Her Side Should Know about Him,” with fun facts about each of them. Since the two share a love of popcorn and test and create different flavors at home, they included a popcorn bar as guests exited, for the favor. In lieu of a guest book, Katie and Steve had guests sign a framed outline of their home state, Maryland, with their names and wedding date. “I was told by many people,” Katie says, “that the wedding was just so “us.””

The honeymoon, and beyond. After their wedding, Katie and Steve jetted off to Providenciales in Turks & Caicos. “It was really relaxing since it was just before their busy season,” Katie says. “The water was so blue and some days we had the hotel beach to ourselves.” The newlyweds rented a moped and explored around the island, rode horses on the beach, tried conch and drank rum punch, went to a local fish fry, and even went on a snorkeling excursion where Steve dove for conch, and a shark swam right in between them. These days, they’re finishing up DIY projects around their house and looking forward to their next excursion. “We booked a trip to Charleston, South Carolina to give us something to look forward to,” Katie says “and to beat the winter blues.”